The Studio as Ritual Space (Part 2)

I know I did one post for this week, but I felt like this prompt deserved a little more attention. In order to do that I got up early Saturday morning and went over to Vaikunth Hindu Jain Temple. The teacher is Stevee. The same woman who runs the class on Tuesday nights at the Lodge. That made me feel a little more comfortable since I already know somewhat what I was walking into. 
This space had a much more ritual feel to it. I mean it is in a temple after all. We entered through the front of the temple, and then through a very large open area that led to a set of steps. We did pass by the area that looked like religious services were held, but I wasn't sure of the etiquette so I didn't want to just wander over and take a look. From what I could see through the open door though it was a beautiful space. 
The area used for the class is up a set of steps. The room itself was on the larger side, but not altogether huge, and had the leftover smell of previously burnt incense. There were strings of pennants hanging on each of the longer walls. A small table with a picture of what I can only assume was, or is, a guru. There were a few other items on the table, so perhaps it was meant to be a tiny altar of some sort.The one long wall had multiple windows, which was the only light we used during the class. The floor was carpeted in a neutral earth tone, and the walls were white. The walls had many pictures hanging, and from what I saw the pictures were mostly of nature scenes like flowers. In the window sills were vases filled with plastic flowers. On the wall across from where the small table was sitting was a painted (or possible decal) symbol of some kind. Also, there were a few dishes that were obviously for the burning of incense. There were a few out of place items, and you could tell that the temple was using some of the space for storage, but it honestly wasn't a very big issue since the rest of the room was decorated. 
There was a much better atmosphere, at least to me, in this room than there is in the Lodge. There was the loud ticking of a clock that I thought would end up driving me crazy, but it ended up being quite the opposite. It ended up having almost a white noise effect which was rather relaxing. The people in attendance also made a difference I think. They were all older women, and a few men, as opposed to all young students. These folks actually did the loud breathing and participated in the chanting. The students don't usually do any of that. I guess they feel like maybe they'll sound stupid, but either way, it made a big difference in the overall atmosphere of the class. 
All in all, I enjoyed the class at the temple and would like to definitely go back again. I'd also like to try a few other places/teachers as the semester goes on.